At Bad Moon Saloon, Comfort Food Gets A Not Bad Upgrade
New trailer from a Vanguard alum will serve familiar favorites with unexpected ingredients.
Not Bad Foods in its spot at Bad Moon Saloon. Photo courtesy of Scott Zajork.
Bad Moon Saloon has met its match. A new food trailer, Not Bad Foods, is soon to join the rock-‘n’-roll tavern as a resident vendor, offering a menu of comfort food with ingredients that “make it interesting.”
The custom-built trailer made the journey from Texas to Milwaukee. The business is led by Scott Zajork, an industry veteran with years of experience at local standouts including Goodkind, St. Paul Fish Company, DanDan, Snack Boys and The Vanguard, where he spent the past four years overseeing menu development and specials.
“A lot of these guys — all the owners and chefs of these restaurants — have been friends of mine for years,” he said. “I was really trying to explore different cuisines and learn new things from different chefs.”
Among those connections are Kristin and Chris Graves, owners of Bad Moon Saloon. The self-described “biker-disco-divey-punk bar” operates at 4035 S. Clement Ave., where it hosts frequent community events ranging from pop-up flea markets to motorcycle part swaps.
“We’ve been friends since they opened the bar, pretty much, through the circles of the motorcycle community,” Zajork said. When the couple created a dedicated space for an on-site food truck, Zajork, their longtime go-to for events, seemed like a perfect fit.
“It just made sense,” he said.
Another food truck, Tots on the Street, previously held the residency in that spot.
Not Bad Foods will be Zajork’s second mobile venture; he also operated Foxfire Food Truck at Zocalo in the food park’s early days. The new menu, while distinct, will riff on an old favorite: Foxfire’s spicy chicken sandwich.
“That’s something I get asked about a lot,” he said. “It won’t be the same, but it’s inspired by that sandwich.”
The handheld, featuring American cheese and pickled coleslaw, headlines a proposed menu for Not Bad Foods. Other sandwiches in the lineup include a beef dip baguette, grilled mortadella with hemp seed pesto and hot honey, and grilled steak with piri piri sauce.
Side options such as crispy smashed potatoes with beer cheese and kimchi, fried tofu tossed in bourbon glaze and popcorn sprinkled with savory togarashi seasoning and nutritional yeast are also featured.
“I like to classify it as comfort food with a twist,” Zajork said of his cooking style. “Something people are familiar with and can identify with, but with something that makes it interesting — something that makes it Not Bad Foods.”
Zajork expressed gratitude to his fiancée, Hannah Dekker, who he said has been a significant support. “Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do as much as I have. She’s been by my side, helping me out the entire way.”
Not Bad Foods is awaiting final permits and inspections, but hopes to be up and running by mid-June, Zajork said. The trailer will initially operate Fridays and Saturdays — likely from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. — with the possibility of expansion as the season continues.
In the meantime, diners will be able to find the food truck popping up at Puddler’s Hall, 2461 S. St. Clair St., during the June 13 Beer City Cycles Bike Show and BBQ.
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